Jane trained as a doctor at UCH Medical School, qualifying in 1980. She undertook her postgraduate clinical training in General Internal Medicine and Rheumatology at St Bartholomews Hospital in London. She completed her research training at St Bartholomews Medical College, developing digital imaging methods for the evaluation of radiological joint space size in patients with osteoarthritis.
In the late 1980s, Jane became interested in Medical Education. She was the clinical lead for the development of the first Clinical Skills Centre in the UK (opened at St Bartholomews Medical College). She was a co-author of the GALS screen, a novel method of joint examination, which is used in all UK medical schools.
She has recognised expertise in the scholarship of assessment, and has been instrumental in the development, implementation and evaluation of several undergraduate and postgraduate assessment systems in medicine. This includes: the finals examinations at Barts and UCL, the Royal College of Anaesthetists postgraduate examination, the PLAB test, the MRCP (UK)examination and the tests of competence in the GMC Performance Procedures.
Jane has a broad interest in all aspects of the performance of doctors. Recently this has included an evaluation of the effects of gender and ethnicity on the career trajectories, and performance of women and BME doctors.
She was Women in the City Woman of Achievement in medicine and healthcare in 2012, and was in the inaugural HSJ list if inspirational women in healthcare in 2013.
In 2014 she was elected u President of the Royal College of Physicians. The third female president in its 500 year history.
In 2025, Dame Jane is President of the Medical Women's Federation, the Medical Protection Society and the Royal Medical Benevolent Fund.
